For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to investors, even if it currently lacks a track record of revenue and profit. But the reality is that when a company loses money each year, for long enough, its investors will usually take their share of those losses. A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up.

Despite being in the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, many investors still adopt a more traditional strategy; buying shares in profitable companies like Dah Sing Financial Holdings (HKG:440). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

Dah Sing Financial Holdings' Earnings Per Share Are Growing

If you believe that markets are even vaguely efficient, then over the long term you'd expect a company's share price to follow its earnings per share (EPS) outcomes. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. Dah Sing Financial Holdings managed to grow EPS by 11% per year, over three years. That growth rate is fairly good, assuming the company can keep it up.

Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. It's noted that Dah Sing Financial Holdings' revenue from operations was lower than its revenue in the last twelve months, so that could distort our analysis of its margins. While we note Dah Sing Financial Holdings achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 10% to HK$5.0b. That's a real positive.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

While profitability drives the upside, prudent investors always check the balance sheet, too.

Are Dah Sing Financial Holdings Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Many consider high insider ownership to be a strong sign of alignment between the leaders of a company and the ordinary shareholders. So as you can imagine, the fact that Dah Sing Financial Holdings insiders own a significant number of shares certainly is appealing. Owning 44% of the company, insiders have plenty riding on the performance of the the share price. This should be a welcoming sign for investors because it suggests that the people making the decisions are also impacted by their choices. HK$3.2b That level of investment from insiders is nothing to sneeze at.

Should You Add Dah Sing Financial Holdings To Your Watchlist?

One important encouraging feature of Dah Sing Financial Holdings is that it is growing profits. For those who are looking for a little more than this, the high level of insider ownership enhances our enthusiasm for this growth. The combination definitely favoured by investors so consider keeping the company on a watchlist. It is worth noting though that we have found 1 warning sign for Dah Sing Financial Holdings that you need to take into consideration.

While opting for stocks without growing earnings and absent insider buying can yield results, for investors valuing these key metrics, here is a carefully selected list of companies in HK with promising growth potential and insider confidence.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.